Spectacular Settings

Erin Johnson

Caroline Holland

About Us

As the Exceptional Events Team at the historic Casa Monica Hotel, we have the pleasure of creating memorable wedding experiences for our couples! Visit this blog often for the latest news in wedding-related events at our unique hotel in the heart of downtown St. Augustine Florida! We look forward to helping you plan your DREAM wedding!

December 24, 2008

Megan and I (Erin) want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday season. We wish you a safe, healthy and Happy New Year to you and yours! Thank you to all of our amazing couples who hosted their weddings here at the Casa Monica. We look forward to seeing you in years to come for anniversaries and visits! To all of our future bride's and groom's, we look forward to meeting you! We have availability in 2009 and 2010 is starting to book as well! Blessings to you all! The Photos below were taken by the amazing and talented, Alison Miller with Alison Miller Photography!

December 3, 2008

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and CONGRATULATIONS to all the newly engaged! We know how exciting this time can be! Make sure you visit our website, www.casamonica.com or contact me (Erin) directly at 904-819-6087 to set up an appointment or to book your special day before the end of the year to lock in the 2008 prices! I am here to answer YOUR questions!

We want to work with you to make sure you have your dream wedding here, all you have to do is contact me and let me what you are envisioning for your night, let me, help you fit the Casa Monica into your budget! References and testimonials are available upon request! Megan and I look forward to speaking with you soon!

November 26, 2008

Megan and I (Erin) along with the rest of the staff from the Casa Monica Hotelwant to wish you and your families a very Happy Thanksgiving! If you are traveling, safe travels! If you are still looking for an amazing Thanksgiving dinner but don't want to do all the cooking, 95 Cordova, is hosting the annual Thanksgiving Grand Buffet, see the AMAZING menu below!

November 18, 2008

Come and see the BIG event on January 18, 2009!!! The Jacksonville Ultimate Bridal Fantasy held in St. Augustine at the Renaissance World Golf Village. I look forward to seeing you there! Look for Casa Monica'sbooth! With amazing vendors, a great fashion show and amazing give-a-ways, you don't want to miss it! This event is the best yet and will give you the opportunity to check out top trends, get ideas, meet vendors and network with other elite brides! I look forward to seeing you there!

Hotels Listed in Top 100 Mainland U.S. Hotels;Savannah Again Listed as a Top 10 U.S. City

Savannah, Ga. and St. Augustine, Fla. (November 6, 2008) – Hotelier Richard C. Kessler’s AAA Four-Diamond Mansion on Forsyth Park in Savannah, Ga. and AAA Four-Diamond Casa Monica Hotel in St. Augustine, Fla. have both been named to Condé Nast Traveler’s annual Top 100 Readers' Choice List in its November issue. This is the second consecutive year that the Mansion on Forsyth Park has been named to the prestigious "Top 100 U.S. Mainland Hotels" list.According to the magazine, its 21st annual Readers' Choice Awards is not only an award for the destinations, lodgings, and modes of transportation that exceed expectations, it is also a credit to the worldly expertise of Condé Nast Traveler readers. Tina Harlow, general manager at the Mansion on Forsyth Park, says, “Our goal is to continue to exceed our guests’ expectations whether it is the first time staying with us or the fifth. Each of our talented Grand Performers work diligently to provide services and accommodations that are unmatched. We are honored that these well-traveled readers have received that remarkable experience and to have been named to the list.”Earlier this year, the Mansion on Forsyth Park was also named to Condé Nast Traveler's prominent Gold List, was designated as the "Best of the South" by Meetings South magazine, and named one of the “World’s Best Hotels” on the Expedia® Insiders’ Select™ list 2008. The hotel’s on-site state-of-the-art 700 Kitchen Cooking School was named the “#1 Attraction in Savannah” and “#2 Thing to Do” in the United States on TripAdvisor.com.Anthony Lazzara, general manager at the Casa Monica Hotel, says, “Guests we have had the pleasure of hosting continuously remark about their experience as being one of the best they’ve ever had. We aim to inspire and treat all guests to the relaxation, luxurious appointments and memories they deserve. Being named to this honorable list assures that we are doing just that.” (more)

Among other major highlights this year, the Casa Monica Hotel became a designated Florida Department of Environmental Protection Green Lodging Member, was named to The Knot magazine’s “Best of Florida Reception Sites” two years in a row, named one of the “World’s Best Hotels” on the Expedia® Insiders’ Select™ list 2008, awarded Florida Trend magazine’s Golden Spoon Award, and was mentioned on Good Morning America’s "International Getaways in the United States" travel segment. About Mansion on Forsyth Park The AAA Four-Diamond Mansion on Forsyth Park in Savannah, Ga. opened in April 2005 as a new hotel built adjacent to a renovated 1888 mansion. The original 18,000-square-foot Victorian-Romanesque building houses the gourmet 700 Drayton Restaurant with six private dining galleries, the hands-on 700 Kitchen Cooking School, Casimir's Lounge and intimate Carriage Wine Cellar. The hotel features 126 captivating guest rooms and suites, full-service Poseidon Spa, 8,500 square feet of opulent meeting space, over 400 pieces of original artwork, three Bösendorfer pianos, a vintage ladies hat collection dating from 1860 -1960, Grand Bohemian Gallery, chic Bösendorfer Lounge, Viennese Ballroom, outdoor pool, full-time concierge, 24-hour fitness center, business center and valet parking.For additional information, visit www.mansiononforsythpark.com or call 912.238.5158.About the Casa Monica Hotel The Casa Monica Hotel is a restored majestic 1888 landmark hotel located in historic St. Augustine, Fla. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Casa Monica Hotel is the city’s only AAA Four Diamond hotel. The castle-like Spanish architecture transports guests to a world of first-class service and luxury. 138 decadent guestrooms and 14 unique suites are complemented by amenities such as the AAA Four-Diamond 95 Cordova Restaurant, The Lounge at 95 Cordova, over 10,000 square feet of meeting space, 24-hour fitness center, business center, outdoor garden-style rooftop pool and chandeliered Sultan’s Pavilion, valet parking, and a full-time concierge. The hotel offers an inspired setting for rejuvenation, captivating weddings and cutting-edge meetings. Nearby, championship golf and privileges at the exclusive oceanfront Serenata Beach Club awaits.For more information, call 800.648.1888 or visit: www.casamonica.com.

On another note, I was standing at the front doors of the Casa Monica this past Saturday afternoon waiting for a Bride and Groom's arrival and who walked through the doors towards his car? KID ROCK! Kid Rock had a concert at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre and stayed with us in the St. Francis Suite on Friday night. Pretty cool week with some Rock Stars at the Casa Monica! :)

We have three great wedding coming up this weekend and are looking forward to beautiful October weather! Have a great rest of your week!

September 24, 2008

Check out these pictures, from Megan and Garrett's Wedding in July! Congratulations to the newlyweds! Megan was super organized and we loved her green and teal wedding! She surprised Garrett with an FSU Beer Pong Groom's Cake! Arlene at Sweet Weddings created both cakes! We love it!

This next two cakes was done by Signature Cakes By Paul, this couple loves to travel and LOVES Paris! Congraultions to Kellie and Randy!

All of these pictures were taken by myself or by Paul from Signature Cakes by Paul.

Hello!!! Sorry I have not blogged in a LONG time!! Between vacations and trainings we have been in and out of the office. I wanted to let you all know what upcoming posts I will be doing. 1. First we have had some intersesting cakes recently! So I will be posting some of those pictures as well as vendors. 2. We also did our first GROUP tasting, what a success! It was a chance for a select amount of upcoming Brides to come in and be treated to all the wonderful items that they would be able to choose from for their reception and see different decor set ups, be entered for door prizes and spend some time with your Chef's, and Megan and I to answer questions! If you were not invited to this Tasting, have no fear, if you are one of our 2009 Brides, you invite will be coming !3. I recently attended Sales Training one of our AMAZING, sister properties, El Monte Sagrado in Taos, New Mexico, WOW! is just about how I can sum it up, I will post some pictures of the property that we took. If you are looking for a romantic, calming, honeymoon where you can stay at the resort and spa or take a horseback ride up the mountain, go skiing, white water rafting, all sorts of activities. El Monte Sagrado is located half way up Taos Mountain and offers unbelieveable views and experiences!! Great food too! I will get these posts up soon, but I also just wanted to check in! Remember to contact either Megan or I with any questions you have. I am 5 months out from my wedding and wow, there is a lot of work to do! Let us know if we can be of any assistance to you!

August 5, 2008

Megan and I decided since we are a little bit slower this month to take the opportunity to visit our fabulous Orlando vendors that we hope to see more and more here at Casa Monica. Many of them are currently Preferred Vendors at two of our sister properties, The Grand Bohemian Hotel and the Celebration Hotel.

We started out with fabulous floral and event design company FLOURISH with Richard and Brian and along with them we met phenomenal designer, Lindsey Luxa, with DRAGONFLY, if you are looking for unique invitations, menu cards, place cards, thank you notes, anything, pairing Dragonfly and Flourish is a smart choice! These two companies work so well together from the custom designed and hand-made invitations complimented by the design, decor and flowers for the ceremony and reception!

Next we were on to the Winter Park office of the Heather Snively and Emily Darling and their team from WEDDINGS UNIQUE, Heather and her team can often be seen on wedding shows such as Platinum Weddings! You don't have to be hosting a Platinum Wedding to have these organized and creative wedding planners. They have many different packages that they offer. Check out their award winning planning and design! Weddings Unique is very familiar with the Casa Monica!!

We then went onto see the fabulous studio of JOHN UNRUE PHOTOGRAPHY. We can't say enough! We love John, Ricardo and Kristal! Not only are these photographers simply stated AMAZING, they are hilarious! Both Megan and I had trouble talking as we were laughing so hard! Quick Fact: among the amazing weddings that they have done, they did Johnny Damon's Wedding!! Check out their blog for the most recent work and start learning more about the dedication and fun they have while photographing!

We ended our first day with special event decor company, RAINING ROSES, meeting Chris, Jesus and Diana. It was great to be able to see the "behind-the-scenes" work that they do! Wow, they make all of their props and design, paint, build, anything you can think of! Raining Roses is hired by many of our Brides for floral production as well as event decor!

As day one ended, Megan and I checked into the Grand Bohemian Hotel, one of our sister properties and enjoyed a dinner downtown, above is a picture taken by our intern, Sarah who happened to be in town that evening as well!

DAY TWO:

Day two began with visiting our Coporate Office, The Kessler Collection, it was a chance to put faces to names and see a small portion of Mr. Kessler's favorite artwork which he gladly shares throughout all of his properties!

We then stopped be to see the fabulous and talented family at BAKE ME A CAKE, at their Pastry Shop and Bakery. YUM!!!!! We were given an entire box full of samples for the ride home! We sat and looked and smelled and looked again at amazing designs. I wonder how people can be so creative with cakes and just how do they do it?! Beautiful and FUN cakes for Wedding Cakes, Groom's Cakes, Birthdays, Showers, etc...Check them out!

We also had a chance as we were heading back towards St. Augustine to see Corrine and Gregory Heck at DETAILS FLOWERS AND PHOTOGRAPHY in Daytona Beach! This amazing husband and wife team have a beautiful studio right off the beach to showcase their distinctive floral and event design as well as Gregory's Fine Art Wedding Photography.

Megan and I truly appreciate all of the amazing vendors we were able to see in the Orlando area! Thank you for your time and we look forward to seeing you at the hotel! For those looking for vendors, be sure to take a look at these vendors!

I had the pleasure to join some of the other Kessler Collection Wedding Teams in Atlanta, GA in July for a trade show at the Grand Hyatt in Buckhead. What a great turnout from the Brides and Grooms from the area! Thay had a wonderful fashion show and we did a give-a-way for a two day/one night stay here at Casa Monica! I was joined by Jen Hamill and Angela Sheets from the Exceptional Events Team from the Mansion on Forsyth Park in Savannah, GA and the newbie to the company, the Bohemian Asheville (which is opening in December) in Asheville, North Carolina had General Manager, Marc Bauer and Exceptional Events Manager Jordan McKelvy attend.

So, if you are looking for a vacation, honeymoon, meeting or wedding, check out of the the fabulous properties from The Kessler Collection, many in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Taos, New Mexico, and Colorado!

July 10, 2008

Personalizing Your Special Day! Courtney and Austin got married in May 3rd in a beautiful, natrual setting at the Oldest House Gardens They had an Old Town Trolley bring their guests back to hotel for the cocktail hour and reception in the Flagler Ballroom. Their menu consisted of the New Monica Mixed Greens Salad and a customized dinner of Cold water Lobster tail with saffron butter sauce, Omaha Filet Mignon and balsamic demi reduction, truffle mashed potatoes and haricot verts.

They are a beautiful, young, local couple who were so creative in their planning and really personalized their wedding down to the smallest details. With signature drinks and great food, beautiful flowers and great music, the Flagler Ballroom was host to this great couple's first night being married! Here are a few of their pictures courtesy of Red Fern Photography, out of Palm Coast, FL.

July 1, 2008

It is a hot and sunny day here in Saint Augustine, we have been having our typical afternoon storms to cool things off, but it is not stopping people from getting married! Megan and I just received these photographs from Robert, Weddings By Robert.

Congratulations to the gorgeous couple, Erika and Robert! Take a look at the great photo Robert took of Erika and Robert through the doors of Casa Monica below. As well as the one above of Erika and Robert standing in front of the Castillo de San Marcos, one of the beautiful and unique locations for wedding pictures!

June 24, 2008

Megan and I are beginning the slower season of the wedding seasons...May was a blast and we had phenomenal weddings, but very busy!! With Megan out of town for her own sister's wedding and relaxing from doing such a great job, I am going to post some pictures of weddings that we have had recently. Sit back, and enjoy and more to come soon! If you are a past Bride, we would love to see your pictures, if you would like to share, just send them via email or have your photographer send them over.

The pictures above were shot by Ave One Studios, Qiana and Aaron were married out underneath the Sultan's Pavilion! Congratulations!!!!

The above pictures are from Andrew and Tiki's Wedding, shot by wonderful, local photographer Alison Miller! Their ceremony was in the Courtyard of the Lightner Museum and then their fabulous reception was in the Flagler Ballroom! Congratulations Andrew and Tiki!

June 6, 2008

Happy Friday! It is a gorgeous summer day here in St. Augustine, I recently attendedengage!08hosted by Rebecca Grinnals and Kathryn Arce fromEngaging Concepts, at our sister hotel, Celebration Hotel in Celebration, FL! Wow! Is first what I need to express. What an amazing chance to get together with other professionals in the industry and share, discuss, network and learn.Loaded with amazing speakers as Rebecca Grinnals, "Release Your Brilliance" author, Simon T. Bailey, Susan Moynihan, Harmony Walton, Liene Stevensand Christine Boulton.It was a such a great chance to get to know others and learn about different oppotunities and trends to be able to serve our Bride and Grooms better! Simon T. Bailey, an AMAZING motivational speaker pumped us up about "releasing our brilliance!"

To add to the packed list of great speaker, Rebecca and Kathryn lined up the amazing and talented wedding/event planner, MARCY BLUM and wedding/event designer to the stars, PRESTON BAILEYto come in and speak candidly and honestly in a question and answer session with all of us! I have to say it was an exciting time! We were also given fabulous gift bags, made by Tulla Belles, that included Simon T. Bailey's book, "Release Your Brilliance," and Preston Bailey's book, "Inspirations." Check out the pictures above that I captured with my camera, so exciting!!!

A big thank you for Rebecca and Kathyrn for hosting such a wonderful event! Thank you and we can't wait to hear abour the next one!!!

April 30, 2008

...And the wedding season is in full swing, Congratulations to our couples who got married this past weekend. We had a large wedding in our Casa Monica Ballroom in which the Bride and Groom chose to have an 80's Glam Rock/Hair Band perform for their wedding. What a blast! Papercuttreally got the crowd going dressed in full 80's get-up with pink boas, big blonde wigs and florescent color schemes! One of the best parts of being in the wedding business is watching a Bride and Groom's personality come out in their own wedding. Whether it be formal, casual, romantic, and subdued or a party crowd, all of the weddings are so special in their own ways! Every wedding is different! We look forward to hosting your personalized, special and unique wedding soon!

We are thrilled to announce that the Casa Monica Hotel was voted by local Brides in The Knot's 2008 Best of Weddings Pick for Reception Locations! this is such an honor as we have received this award for the 2nd year in a row.

As we are jumping into the wedding season we are also continuing to stay ahead with the hot trends of 2008 and will be attending engage!08 which is a wedding symposium hosted by Engaging Concepts, in which we will hear from top professionals in the industry such as RebeccaGrinnals, Preston Bailey, and Marcy Blum. We are looking forward to heading down to our sister property in June, the Celebration Hotel who will be hosting this symposium! Much more information to come!

March 25, 2008

On Easter Sunday, Melissa and Slava exchanged vows and had their reception in the Flagler Ballroom. Their flowers were beautiful and done by 57 Treasury with a unique cake done by Sweet Weddings. Jennifer Brum photographed this happy couple who danced the night away to the wonderful music played by Carlton McGee. Check out these beautiful pictures below:

March 20, 2008

We are loving the warm weather and beautiful, clear skies here in St. Augustine. It is a quieter weekend here with one wedding ceremony on Saturday with a small reception and then another smaller wedding on Sunday as well! Landon and I have decided and booked here at Casa Monica for our wedding reception in February 2009 out on the Pool Deck and Sultan's Pavilion! We are very excited. We are going to have our Ceremony at 2:30pm at the Cathedral Basilica followed by a reception from 5p-10pm. In between we are going to have the Old Town Trolley Company take our guests around on a tour of St. Augustine! We are working diligently to book everything else, but it is a relief to have our ceremony and reception booked.

My sister's wedding was the last weekend of February and was a blast!! She had her rehearsal dinner at 95 Cordova, here in the Casa Monica. There were approximately 26 people and it was a beautiful setting in the Sultan's Room. If you are interesed in booking a Rehearsal Dinner, Bridal Luncheon/Shower or Wedding Brunch in the restaurant, please contact Allison Wilson, Inspired Events Manager at allison.wilson@casamonica.com or 904-819-6164. Enjoy some of the pictures below:

These pictures are of Shannon and George on their way to the Rehearsal, Shannon and I just waking up in the St. Francis Suite (we slept soo well, the beds are amazing!) the morning of their wedding, Shannon getting her hair and makeup done by Megan at Small Indulgences Day Spa, kissing and becoming Mr. and Mrs. DeLeon, small Bridal Party shot on Flagler College campus, Shan and George on the carriage that took us around for pictures, my sister and I, Landon and I, their cake by Irma Kay Strickland, and George who was surprised by the NY Yankees garter I got Shannon, his favorite team! (All of these pictures were taken from my personal camera by Landon, my father or myself.)

February 18, 2008

Mary and James Holden got married this weekend out on the Sultan's Pavilion and Pool Deck with a beautiful reception held in the Casa Monica Ballroom. With 100 of their closest friends and family watching, Mary was ecorted down the aisle by her brother who also sang Mary and James' first dance song! It was so special. Mary and James decided on renting black chivari chairs which looked gorgeous against their black tablecloths with silver Simple Elegance overlays and black chargers. They had a designated children's table with a full candy centerpiece, it looked great and kept the younger ones busy and excited! We are looking forward to a busy weekend ahead as Megan will be blogging next week, I will be enjoying my own sister's wedding on Satuday! I am so excited!

February 6, 2008

Wow, the weather the past few days here has been AMAZING! With temperatures in the mid 70's and the clear blue skies it is hard to believe that it is only the beginning of February! We hope the wedding planning is going well for all. Megan and I recently got back from The Special Event Show 2008 in Atlanta (where it SNOWED) and we took courses in the Wedding Track so we came back with great themes, ideas, and trends! Organic weddings are big, his and hers stations during cocktail hour, the late-night snack, such as mini-cheeseburgers or pigs in a blanket passed towards the end of the night or tray-passed sweets. So much information! It is certainly making the wedding planning on my end a lot of fun!! Landon and I have set the date for next February and are looking forward to the planning process, (Landon has much more of an opinion, even on colors that I thought--:) I am thrilled he wants to be involved)!